What They Taught Me by Kelsey Chapman is a thought-provoking and empowering book that invites readers on a personal journey of self-discovery and growth. With its honest and vulnerable storytelling, insightful lessons, and practical advice, this book serves as a valuable resource for those seeking inspiration and guidance on their path to finding purpose and living a fulfilled life.

In this memoir-style book, Kelsey Chapman shares her own experiences and the invaluable lessons she has learned from various mentors and influential figures in her life. Through a series of engaging anecdotes and relatable storytelling, she highlights the profound impact these mentors had on shaping her mindset, confidence, and overall outlook on life.

Chapman's writing is authentic and engaging, capturing the essence of each mentor's wisdom and the transformative effect it had on her own personal journey. The book is structured in a way that allows readers to easily navigate through different chapters, each focused on a specific mentor and the lessons learned. This format not only provides clarity but also makes it convenient for readers to revisit specific sections that resonate with them.

One of the book's greatest strengths is Chapman's ability to extract powerful lessons from her experiences and convey them in a relatable and actionable manner. She offers practical advice, reflection prompts, and exercises that encourage readers to apply the lessons to their own lives. This interactive approach adds depth and applicability to the book, making it more than just a collection of stories, but a valuable tool for personal growth and self-reflection.

What sets this book apart is Chapman's emphasis on the importance of community and connection. She emphasizes the value of surrounding oneself with mentors, role models, and supportive networks that can guide and inspire personal growth. Through her own experiences, she beautifully demonstrates the transformative power of meaningful relationships and the impact they can have on one's journey towards self-discovery and success.

While the book is filled with valuable insights and empowering messages, there were moments where the narrative could have benefited from more depth and exploration. Certain stories and lessons felt somewhat rushed, leaving readers craving more context and elaboration. However, this minor drawback does not overshadow the overall impact and value of the book's core messages.

What They Taught Me is an inspiring and motivational read that encourages readers to embrace personal growth, seek out mentors, and embrace the transformative power of connection. Kelsey Chapman's vulnerability and genuine desire to empower others shine through her writing, making this book a relatable and engaging resource for anyone on a journey of self-discovery.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of What They Taught Me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What They Taught Me by Kelsey Chapman is a gentle read about the wonders of mentorship, fellowship, and conversational learning. Showcasing many of Chapman's own experiences, the book segments out different learnings that can be had when one puts themselves in relationship with others for the benefit of mentoring. Although written from a christian-world view this book offers gems for all.

Little did I know how much this book would feel like it was written just for me. When did the author get a peek into my life? This is so on point that I couldn’t put it down! Now I need to go back to go through the questions!

Oh! Let me circle back here; What They Taught Me by Kelsey Chapman is about how several women helped the author become the person she is today. It’s about the lessons she’s learned from these individuals. It’s about how she was brought up as part of a village!

Mentoring is a huge aspect of this book. How to choose your mentor, working with your mentor, even how to be a mentor, and everything in between. I especially enjoy knowing that there can be a different mentor for different parts of life, in fact there should be!

A digital ARC of What They Taught Me by Kelsey Chapman was provided by Harvest House via NetGalley. While a review is not required, I choose to write a review because I know it can help both the author and readers. This book is eye-opening and absolutely helpful for my personal growth as well!

Chapters describe mentors who...
... Lean In... Even When It Hurts
... Play the Long Game
... Invest Without a Guaranteed Return
... Get Comfortable with Pain
... Are Called, Not Qualified
... Lead by Example
... Break the Mold
... Fight for Your Future
... Propel You Forward
... Invest Generously

Each chapter includes Questions for Reflection and Discussion, and an Action Step.

"Field Notes" address What About the Wrong Mentors? and When a Potential Mentor Says No. There is an Afterword about Learning While Leading.

This is an easy to read guide on mentoring written through the mentor/mentee experiences of the author. While it is Christian, it is not overly spiritual or massively heavy on this theme so could be relevant to someone Christian-adjacent also.

I enjoyed the straight forward structure and clear message of the book. I think it would be the ideal read for a young woman looking to develop herself as a mentor but also wanting to understand what she should be looking for in a mentor for herself.

There is one particularly practical suggestion where the author recommends turning "What if" questions into "Even if" statements which I thought was really helpful. Overall I was encouraged by reading it. It reminded me to be grateful for all of the incredible people who have encouraged me in my professional/spiritual/relationship journeys.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harvest House publishers for the complimentary copy of What They Taught Me in exchange for this honest review..

‘What They Taught Me’ is a memoir conveying the writer’s life through the lens of the women that helped her along the way. This begins from childhood to the present, in which she utilises career-based mentors rather than life-defining ones.

This wasn’t particularly marked in terms of either a memoir or self-help book, but was an easy and personable read. Each chapter had a clear theme that was maintained throughout, enabling it to be well understood. Though relatively interesting, it didn’t amaze or inspire me enough to rate it any higher.

The majority of the book focused on life defining events for the writer, which made it more memoir than advice (not necessarily a bad thing). The ‘discussion points’, and advice at the end of each chapter are focused around becoming a mentor in your own capacity, but I wouldn’t say this is entirely applicable; mentoring is a rigorous process and not for everyone, particulaly when inexperienced themselves. Though I disagree with her promotion of mentorship for everyone, I enjoyed reading her point that reaching out and supporting is important and can teach many lessons both ways. Thus in that aspect, I probably learned more from reading about and watching the women in her life than the discussion points she intended to convey.

A variety of mentors were included through the book: a mother like figure, a coming of age role model, a mentor to aid her Biblically, a marriage-based mentor, professional therapists and career aid. Though in some ways this shows a wide variety, thus conveying the purpose of the book, I found the meaning to get slightly convoluted by the end. The career focus by the end of the book felt less focused on mentorship and more on her own personal journey with owning a business, which made it less interesting than the beginning.

Overall, the cover was gorgeous, and the writing style fluent and easy to understand. However, there were aspects that I didn’t necessarily agree with, and it became less focused on personal mentorship as it went on which I didn’t love. Perhaps I’m not in the stage of life to appreciate this book fully and as such would still invite people to give it a read and make their own judgment! What They Taught Me is a moderate read, but nothing remarkable enough to blow me away.

What They Taught Me
Recognizing the Mentors Who Will Take You from Dream to Done
by Kelsey Chapman
Harvest House Publishers
Christian | Self-Help
Pub Date 09 Feb 2021


I am reviewing a copy of What they Taught Me through Harvest House Publishers and Netgalley:


Kelsey Graham Isaiah entrepreneur and podcast host who thanks God for the wonderful mentors who stepped into her life to give her the wisdom, inspiration, and support she needed in each season. In What They Taught Me, she’ll show you how to find a mentor who will help you reach your dreams—and how you can become that person for someone else.


In What they Taught Me reminds us that true mentors lean in, even when it hurts, even when things get awkward. They don’t back away from our pain, they lean in helping us through it. We are reminded too that mentors are in for the long game.



Kelsey Chapman points out that risk comes with any type of relationship, but when you allow someone to speak into your life, it’s especially important to be mindful of the risk you’re taking. You’re allowing someone to not only listen to you but to offer you wisdom and input, and a high level of discernment is necessary. Some mentors will not be the best fit for you. That’s why trial and error is part of the quest for mentors. Another words not everyone is meant to be our mentor.



Mentors need to be able to get comfortable with pain. In What they Taught Me Kelsey Chapman passes the expert guidance that enriched her perspective, helped her live out her passions, and kept her hopeful and optimistic about the process. This book can help you identify your goals along with the steps needed to achieve thempartner with women who have already walked the road before youencourage others by sharing the insights you’ve gained from your own experience God uses an entire community to shape you into the person He made you to be.




What they Taught Me is a celebration of mentorship between women, and the impact these mentors can have in our lives.



I give What they Taught Me five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I usually don't read or review non-fiction unless I LOVED it, and I usually don't read memoirs unless I know of or am familiar with the person writing them. This was an exception, as I saw the title and description on Netgalley and was intrigued!
It was not my favorite memoir ever, nor was it my favorite advice book. However, I did enjoy learning about the different people and mentors the author had come across in life, and the lessons she had learned from them. Being at the stage of life I'm in, mentorship is something I think about often.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC!

I wanted this book to be more of a guide but it read more like a memoir. Kelsey has MANY stories to share about past memories she has had. Her writing is easy to engage with, but I didn’t walk away feeling like I knew a whole lot more about the how-to’s or practicalities of mentorship, and in that way this book did not live up to my expectations.

Ordinarily I am not a fan of memoirs, especially of people I am unfamiliar with. This book, "What They Taught Me", however, is a pleasant exception to my rule. I do not know of the author, although her book on mentors was a very thorough exploration of mentors and mentees, mixed with self-reflection and examples of servitude. I was surprised by how interesting her life's mentors were and found myself comparing those along my path with those along Chapman's path. Additionally, I gave thought to whom I could mentor and if I had anything to offer. Thanks to the questions at the end of each chapter, I will feel free to mentor others if needed.

This book is addressed to Christian women who are interested in mentoring.
It draws on the author's own experience and tries to draw general conclusions.
I thought it was very thin. and would have benefited from a more challenging editor.

What They Taught Me is Kelsey Chapman's ode to her mentors.

In less than 200 pages, Chapman reflects on the women in her life who have shaped her and how that enabled her to pay it forward. She shows that mentorship comes in different shades and you need to be aware of both your needs and your mentors gifts and limitations
As she puts it, mentorship is taking a (vulnerability) risk. Nonetheless, with the right person, the mentor-mentee relationship can be fruitful for both parties.
Overall, it was a nice quick read and I would recommend it to anyone thinking about being a mentor or someone searching for one